Lets Talk Art: Summer 2014, Part 1.

Honestly, the Summer season is a packed one: From pretty boys to corny shoujo highschool romances to high-budget showdowns.

You know it, I know it, we’ve all been waiting for the reaction over the new (And mighty dissapointing) Sailor Moon, the much hyped “gore-fest” that is Akame Ga Kill, the showdown between two of the most high-profile people in the anime scene with Aldonoah.Zero and Zankyo No Terror, the second abtastic season of Free! and the king of wish-fulfillment Sword Art Online (Apparently It’s Gun Gale Online now, whatever), as well as all the small gems we’ve been loking out for.

While I have a lot of issues with this season, I figured I’d kick my return to aniblogging off with yet another article of me judging people that can draw way better than me, cheers.

Ahh Tokyo Ghoul, being the first edgy gore-infested animu of the list, I have to say that this one pulls the horror off a lot better than Mirai Nikki 2.o: The movements are fluid and the character designs solid, albeit a little bit on the safe and boring side, but seing that this an anime about ghouls slash cannibalism set in the real world, maybe it’s just the obvious thing to do.

Furthermore, I really like the background and I’m shocked that there is an anime that doesn’t use god damned flip-phones.

Going from an anime in which reality meets fiction, I’ll talk about Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage whatever, which is a ‘realistic’ take on the idol life and has the potential to be a gripping tale if it decides to be a realistic drama focusing on the struggles of this glamourized idol life (Which I don’t think it will) instead of the comedy slice-of-life path (Which it definitely will) and if you like Kpop.

Unfortunately, the animation, character designs and backgrounds are too realistic, I say unfortunately because as of now, it just doesn’t click with the tone of the story, because the plot is still not dramatic and realistic enough for it to make sense. If this were a show about the lighthearted adventures of a up and coming boy band I think Utapri stylization would’ve fitted a lot better and as of now, this detracts from the experience.

As for the afromentioned Mirai Nikki 2.o, I say that not becuase the story or characters are alike (Akame is alot more enjoyable on that part) but because of the tone, artstyle and plain idioticy of it all.

Sure, Satelight aren’t exactly known for Ufotable-level animation, but I personally think that in shonen-gore anime, visuals and how delicious the blood splatters all over your screen is one of the most important things, unfortunately Akame Ga Kill doesn’t know how to use gore to it’s advantage (yet), this and the Shingeki-like stillframes are just one big pain in the ass. At least the action was decent and the designs are sub-par.

Alright, get ready for a rant on your childhood sweetheart: Sailor Moon, or actually the reboot of your childhood sweetheart, Sailor Moon Crystal.

I think the purpose of classic reboots (and this one especially) is not to deliver an amazingly well excecuted story but instead it’s to give it a modern jacket and a whole lotta money pumped in to it to excite the nostalgic viewers.

Toei, however, seemed to have put that big pile of money wherever it fit and God knows it wasn’t in Sailor Moon.

Sure, the colours are pretty but oh my God, the CGI? horrible. The movements? what movements? The character designs? meh. The expressions? wait, they have expressions? Usagi has the same god damned :o emoji-face in every god damned situation, really, Toei, really?

Wasn’t this supposed to be more faithful to the manga? isn’t expressive and over-the-top faces (Apart from pointy chins and big-ass eyes) one of the must-does in 90’s shoujo manga? Doesn’t this defeat the entire purpose of a reboot? hell, it seems like these inexperienced in-house directors and whatever gave it their all to not show us anyones faces ’cause God forbid us doing our job as animators, right?

All in all, Sailor Moon episode 1 was quite the slap in the face.

And here’s a show nobody gives a crap about anymore: Re:_Hamatora. What do you want me to say? it’s pretty shit, and there’s only so much a pretty dress can save for an ugly person. Yes, Re:_Hamatora is definitely better than it’s first season when it comes to everything (except the writing, they should have kicked the director out while they had the chance) hell, it actually looks like it isn’t animated on friggin’ photoshop 7.

Glasslip is everything you would expect from a P.A Works summer anime: Backgrounds are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and the characters are recycled from every other P.A Works anime ever.

Still, as someone who lives by the beachside, this studio deserves a lot of credit for their eye for detail and rich colours. Now if they’d just put that much effort in having memorable character designs and a story that isn’t exactly the same like the one before, we’re good.

DEEN, to me, is a very fun studio. Yes, they can butcher shows in ways only DEEN can do, but they’re also the most daring studio in the anime scene, I think. Apart from being basically the only ones that have the balls to do full-lenght and normal-budgeted yuris and yaois, sometimes they come out with a show like this one.

Bakumatsu Rock is campy and extravagant fun, having said that, DEEN delivers fantastically. The animation is as good as it needs to be and that’s all there is to it.